Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Holy Father, you're always welcome at the manor

From time to time, I have unusual hits on my sitemeter; Disney, Random House and Turner Broadcasting, to name a few. But this past Saturday, was the most unique in my whole existence of blogging. I actually had a hit from the Holy See, the Vatican City State. Okay, I realize there are 900 some residents of the Vatican, but it's fun to think that His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, just might have been reading my humble little blog, himself.

Wait, it gets more interesting. The search words for this particular hit were "Colonel Bogey March lyrics". I can just see His Holiness bopping around his quarters whistling Colonel Bogey, then curious as to the lyrics, sitting down with his laptop to Google-up Willow Manor, and read my post.

By the way, did you know the pope has his own Pontifical March? It's played at solemn occasions of the State and ceremonies in which he is present. When the Vatican's flag is ceremonially raised, only the first eight bars are played. The music was composed in 1869 by Charles Gounod, for the celebration on April 11, 1869 of Pope Pius IX's silver jubilee. Click [HERE] for a listen. The English version of the lyrics are as follows:

O Rome immortal of Martyrs and Saints,
O immortal Rome, accept our praises:
Glory in the heavens to God our Lord,
And peace to men who love Christ!
To You we come, Angelic Pastor,
In You we see the gentle Redeemer,
The Holy Heir of true and holy Faith;
Comfort and refuge of those who believe and fight.
Force and terror will not prevail,
But Truth and Love will reign.

It is a tad more pure and majestic than the common Colonel Bogey March, sung by British artillery men. I hope he wasn't too taken aback to discover the lyrics. There are several versions, but this is one of the most well known:

Hitler has only one left ball
Göring has two but they are small.
Himmler was somewhat similar
And poor old Goebbels has no balls at all.

Oh, and another clue that His Holiness, himself, might have visited Willow Manor? The language used on this particular search was notItalian, but happened to be German, his native tongue.

63 comments:

  1. This is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I can't even believe it. Imagine!?

    Pear preserves... it all started with pear preserves!

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  3. It just goes to prove that you never know who is watching!

    I'm cracking up at those lyrics! hee!

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  4. I see a new banner for your blog:

    "THE POPE STOPPED HERE"

    (Plenary Indulgence not included)

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  5. Heh-heh, Bill, I might just have to add that to my header. I like to think maybe he gave my blog a little blessing as he passed through!

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  6. I miss the old header already, although this one is very fine too. The saturation of yellows on the other one lingers in my memory.
    As to the Vatican, you fully deserve the attention of all serious men.

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  7. Amazing how divine interception works! Willow, you have connections that go deep and wide. What's this Suzyhayze is saying about pear preserves? I don't get the connection here.

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  8. I don't get it either. Suzy, what's up with the pear preserves?

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  9. God found your post on pear preserves and found it so heavenly he led the Pope your way! ;)

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  10. How amazing!!

    I love the song also!!

    (BTW: Being very nekky but not very tekky - how does one acquire a sitemeter that tells this kind of information? I'd love to be able to see my 'hits'!)

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  11. I bet I get me one of those darn things. That would be fun to see where the hits come from. Everybody is gonna want one now. I just love that checking out of all the November things I been doing. It is a fun thing.
    QMM

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  12. Oh, wow! Maybe H.H. is going to start a blog and was checking out popular sites for pointers! What next -- papal tweets?

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  13. I "ditto" Ralph. Let us know, ok? With all the followers you have it's not surprising that one or two of them might be someone special. Keep up the good work. I had better get going before my butt attaches to the chair. How do you do it!!!

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  14. Hey.....
    If you published those lyrics...
    maybe you can tell my favorite Pope Joke! (I heard it on NPR.)
    I think he would like it....but I will send it via email and let you decide!
    You have such magnetism...I am certain it had to be him!

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  15. I never knowingly have had a pope visit and leave a comment but I have had supreme court justices and Steve Balmer, Microsoft's CEO. There are a few others but these two were the biggies.

    I am not Catholic. Maybe that has something to do with it.

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  16. oh wow that makes me want to get one of the gadgets on my blog. Yours has been blessed, I better see if mine would be offensive LOl

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  17. What a giggle!....Now I will be thinking of His Holiness strolling around the Vatican while humming this tune:)

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  18. His Holiness indeed is an awsome MAN! You have a great blog, maybe visits from the HRH will soon follow!

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  20. I'm jealous...All I've had is people from my church!

    I didn't know the Pope had a march. Thanks for the education.

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  21. How funny! I'm cracking up at the thought of it. It could happen! I'm sure it's far more fascinating than a lot of what he might read! LOL

    Good one, Willow!

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  22. Is it true? How would you know for sure? When you start donning a habit? Did St. Briget go up before or after the "visitation"? Does someone here called for or need "an old priest and a young priest?" Maybe they were busy Padre Notre decided to do the exorcism...Hey Halloween was so last month, so it "you must have done something good" to quote Maria in Sound of Music! Well, I abSOULutely know you've been doing something saintly here! Way to go Willow!!! (are you trying to chalk up brownie points in heaven?) :)

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  23. The mind reels! Especially given the song lyrics. That's truly funny.

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  24. I will forever think of the Pope in an entirely different context forever linked with Colonel BOgey.

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  25. I had one of those! It really made me laugh. I can't remember what the subject was, but I know I sat there confused for a moments and then said "Vellly interesting" thinking of myself as the old Arte Johnson character from Laugh-In. Completely baffled me. It is strange to see where some people come from, but then I think they must be equally confused when I show up. The net moves in mysterious ways.

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  26. Perhaps it was a return visit. Could he have been at the Ball the other week?

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  27. Santa visited my site! So there! hahaha!

    That would be cool if the Pope really did visit!

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  28. he was probably looking for inspriation for mass...smiles.

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  29. ya' think !?
    that would be a hoot!

    xx love you in the hat.
    xx

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  30. Better the Vatican than some of my visitors, like the Canadian government in Ottawa. Soon I will be seeing beefy men with no necks and suits three sizes too small. There are all sorts of eyes in the internet.

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  31. I wonder if you can now apply for the nihil obstat and imprimatur? I'll vouch for you! I've read several of your posts, and they were all quite free from doctrinal or moral error.

    That's 12 solid years of Catholic school talking.

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  32. So amazing...the pope! I'm getting one of those sitemeters right away!
    The pear preserves...some kind of six degrees connection?

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  33. First of all, I forgot to congratulate you on your new avatar. Is that you who designed it? Beautiful.

    Secondly, I've got the Colonel Bogey on my blog this coming Sunday! Now, tha's what I call a happy coincidence.

    Oh, yes, and be careful, the Vatican surely has mysterious ways of dealing with people. Ask Dan Brown.

    Greetings from London.

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  34. I bow to thee--or kiss your ring, I guess! We get hits from the Chemical Association...

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  35. I never know what I will find here but it is always fascinating!

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  36. I'm impressed that your site meter tells you the organisations that hit your place. Aren't some of the things that people search for funny? Ever since my post about winning the holiday to Thailand and seeing those ping pong girls - yes, so many hits are about Thai sex shows - how disappointing when they find my blog.

    I reckon you could be in line for a Sainthood you know.

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  37. Blue Sky, yes, six degrees of separation from pears to pope!

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  38. WHOA! I need an autograph from you NOW!!!
    You are famous!

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  39. Does the Holy Father have a sense of humour?

    Well, if he's come to visit the Manor, he does now.

    I guess you haven't had a hit from the White House or Buckingham Palace yet?

    Where the Pontiff goes, surely they can't be far behind.

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  40. What's not to love about your blog, Willow? Of course the pope comes here whenever he's surfing the internet. Of course he does!

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  41. Last year when the Pope visited NYC, his limo and police escorts, and mayor, etc. passed in front of my Apt. building, on their way to Catholic church/ school a couple of blocks away. I, and the crowd waved like mad! Same thing on return..yet I didn't get a hit from His Holiness, even though I went out of my way to make him feel welcome! You lead a charmed life indeed!!

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  42. If he did stop by your blog, I guarantee he was captivated by that photo of you in the fur hat... you mischievous little critter!

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  43. Oh my goodness, that is utterly priceless. Wow. ?how very intriguing adn exciting such a thought! Love it.

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  44. BTe, Willow, how or where do you go to see how people found you via searching and who they are. I don;t seem to have that feature in my google analytics which I don't think is very accurate anyway.

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  45. You never know who is peeking in - someone must have told His Holiness about your wonderful blogs and he came to see for himself and to get a few tips! Better him than 'big brother'! I have had people ask me to please stop writing about crime/national events that I'm not happy with in this country. They think someone might just come down on me!!

    You are blessed.

    I know the tune and the words to Col Bogey, well! We used to sing it whilst on the school buses - army brats and all that!

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  46. Once , a business man, an antique dealer that I was working for, said, "always be nice to everyone that you meet. You never know!" I guess that is true that!

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  47. I don't suppose we shall ever know, willow!!

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  48. You're right, Weaver, we'll never know, but it's fun to imagine!

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  49. not sure I know what a site meter is. Is it on the blog? anyway, how fun. And that ending verse is very naughty

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  50. Congrats on your brush with holy celebrity. How exciting!

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  51. Wow Willow, that is really amazing but not surprising in the least.
    The comments from your readers are so funny.
    Great post Willow!

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  52. Wanted to let you know I linked back to this post on my blog today!

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  53. Willow, this is positively the best blog mystery yet! How exciting to think the Pope read your post!! I'm tingling just thinking about it. I would love to sit down and chat with His Emminence. How enlightening and inspiring that would be. If he does a guest post some day, do invite :)

    Happy weekend,
    Jen

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  54. What a wonderfully quirky blog Willow...walls have ears so speak..
    I've marched many a long mile in my past singing those lyrics...
    In fact, I'm about to take a shower and will sing them as I soap.!!!

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  55. Hahaha - very cool Tess! I'm loving the mental image of 'The Pope Bop.'

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)